Commercial production of cell culture-derived products (for example, protein-based products, such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)), requires optimization of cell culture parameters in order for the cells to produce enough product to meet clinical and commercial demands. However, when cell culture parameters are optimized for improving productivity of a protein product, it is also necessary to maintain desired quality specifications of the product such as glycosylation profile, aggregate levels, charge heterogeneity, and amino acid sequence integrity (Li, et al., 2010, mAbs., 2(5):466-477).
For instance, an increase of over 20% volumetric titer results in a significant improvement in large-scale monoclonal antibody production economics. Additionally, the ability to control the glycan forms of proteins produced in cell culture is important. Glycan species have been shown to significantly influence pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of therapeutic proteins such as mAbs. Moreover, the ability to modulate the relative percentage of various glycan species can have drastic results over the behavior of a protein in vivo. For example, increased mannose-5-N-acetylglycosamine-2 (“Man5”) and other high-mannose glycan species have been shown to decrease mAb in vivo half-life (Liu, 2015, J Pharm Sci., 104(6):1866-84; Goetze et al., 2011, Glycobiology, 21(7):949-59; and Kanda et al. 2007, Glycobiology, 17(1):104-18). On the other hand, glycosylated mAbs with mannose-3-N-acetylglycosamine-4 (“G0”) glycan species have been shown to impact antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).
Bioreactors have been successfully utilized for the cell-based production of therapeutic proteins using fed-batch, immobilized, perfusion and continuous modes. Strategies, such as the use of temperature, media formulation, including the addition of growth inhibitors, autocrine factors or cyclic mononucleotides, and hyperstimulation by osmolarity stress, have been used to enhance protein production by cells in culture. To the extent that they have worked at all, these approaches have shown only marginal success.
As such, there is a particular need for improved compositions for use in cell culture for the production of medically or industrially useful products, such as antibodies. Ideally, such compositions and methods for utilizing the same would result in higher titers, modulated (e.g. decreased) high and low molecular weight species, as well as a more favorable glycosylation profile of the derived products in cell culture.
Throughout this specification, various patents, patent applications and other types of publications (e.g., journal articles, electronic database entries, etc.) are referenced. The disclosure of all patents, patent applications, and other publications cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.